A domestic appliance of the type defined in the opening paragraph has been marketed by the Applicant as a so-called ice-cream maker, for example under the type number HR 2302, and is known therefrom. The motor of the known ice-cream maker is a single-phase synchronous motor by means of which a stirring tool of the ice-cream maker can be driven via a transmission. The known appliance has a manually operated two-position slide switch as switching means for starting and stopping a mode of operation of the ice-cream maker. After the mode of operation of this ice-cream maker has been started by means of this slide switch the ice-cream maker is powered directly from an a.c. mains voltage source and its rotor rotates with a constant speed defined by the mains frequency, so that the stirring tool, which is driven by the single-phase synchronous motor via the transmission, is also driven with a constant speed, which in the present case has a nominal value of approximately 21 r.p.m. With the stirring tool, which is rotatably mounted in a receptacle to be filled with a liquid starting substance and which is constructed not only as a stirring tool but also as a scraping tool, the starting substance, while constantly refrigerated, is applied to at least one wall in the receptacle by the stirring movement of the stirring tool and is subsequently scraped off this wall by the scraping action of the stirring tool which also forms a scraping tool. This process continues until the user has observed such a solid consistency of the ice-cream formed during said stirring and scraping process that he stops this process by turning off the single-phase synchronous motor by again actuating the slide switch of the ice-cream maker serving as the switching means for starting and stopping a mode of operation. Owing to the low speed of the stirring tool, at which only a comparatively small quantity of air can be introduced into and mixed with the starting substance and the slowly solidifying ice-cream substance, a comparatively dense and comparatively solid ice-cream can be made by means of the known ice-cream maker, which is not appreciated by many users because such ice-cream is relatively cold and relatively hard in the mouth.